EC3 Sungyoon
EC3 Sungyoon
EC3 Sungyoon
EC Research Report
Introduction
Since the industrial revolution, fossil fuel emissions have steadily increased and are now being pointed out
as the main cause of climate change. Fossil fuels are still used as a major source of energy even though they cause
serious environmental problems. As a result, the reckless use of fossil fuels has resulted in the emission of huge
amounts of greenhouse gases, causing serious environmental problems. Notably, greenhouse gases produced from
fossil fuels, such as carbon dioxide and methane accelerate global warming and lead to extreme climate
fluctuations, rising sea levels, and destroying ecosystems. Moreover, pollutants generated in the process of mining
and burning fossil fuels pollute not only the environment but also affect human health. These serious problems
would worsen as the reckless use of fossil fuels continues.
To solve these problems, it is highly necessary to implement effective strategies at the individual,
organizational, and national levels. There are efforts such as promoting the transition to eco-friendly energy,
increasing energy efficiency, and strengthening legal regulations to reduce carbon emissions. It promotes energy
utilization by using natural energy such as solar heat, tidal power, hydropower, earth heat, and wind power, which
are infinite energy sources. For instance, industrial facilities, public institutions, and houses will be required to use
solar power, which can be converted into light energy through solar cells, and solar power, which can be converted
into electrical energy through collectors or steam generators. Additionally, by investing in the development of
environmentally friendly energy innovation technologies, governments, and societies can increase energy
conversion efficiency, maintain power generation, increase connectivity with the electrical grid, and improve
storage methods, which are the disadvantages of natural energy. Climate change caused by fossil fuel emissions
cannot be solved in a short period of time alone by the leading country. Long-term efforts, all government, social,
and individual efforts, as well as economic investment and regulation for the transition to eco-friendly energy, are
required. When these overall efforts are combined, our lives and future can be safely protected from climate
change caused by fossil fuel emissions.
Promoting an emergency strategy to respond to climate change caused by fossil fuel emissions is a policy
that cannot be solved by leading countries alone in a short period of time. Strategies from developed countries to
developing countries to reduce fossil fuels, and transform into eco-friendly energy to prevent climate change
require economic and technological support. As well as strategies from up to down, partnerships called carbon
However, a fundamental power imbalance exists in implementing strategies to address the issue of fossil
fuel emissions. In the past, most developed countries used huge amounts of fossil fuels for their industrialization,
but now MEDCs are asking LEDCs to reduce their emissions. This can be a hindrance to the economic growth of
developing countries. It would not be easily accepted unless they are paid for the abandonment of fossil fuels,
which provide financial benefits. It should be noted that situations cannot require the same level of policy from all
other countries. Also, the power dynamics between governments and energy industries should be considered. It is
necessary to balance the power between them, as too much regulation by governments could result in a contraction
of the energy industry, which brings economic loss, or an increase in the economic burden on the people.
Climate change
a significant variation of average weather conditions say, conditions becoming warmer, wetter, or drier over
several decades or more
Fossil Fuel
a natural fuel such as coal or gas, formed in the geological past from the remains of living organisms
Emission
Greenhouse gases
a gas that contributes to the greenhouse effect by absorbing infrared radiation, ex) carbon dioxide and
chlorofluorocarbons
Global warming
Renewable energy
energy from a source that is not depleted when used, such as wind or solar power
a target of completely negating the amount of greenhouse gases produced by human activity, to be achieved
by reducing emissions and implementing methods of absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere
Paris Agreement
Carbon Footprint
a measure of the amount of carbon dioxide and other carbon compounds emitted due to the consumption of
fossil fuels by a particular person, group, etc
Carbon Neutral
making no net release of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, especially through offsetting emissions by
planting trees
Background Information
In the late 18th century, the Industrial Revolution began. It was the great turning point that brought
technological and industrial advancements. In this era, people started using coal, oil, and natural gas, which
provided higher energy. As industrial activities expanded, people's reliance on fossil fuels increased, so carbon
dioxide and greenhouse gas emissions have increased.
The usage of fossil fuels radically increased throughout the 20th century. The development of mining and
drilling technologies leads people to earn oil, coal, and natural gas more easily and efficiently compared to the
past. In the transportation part, the appearance of airplanes and automobiles leads to the consumption of more
fossil fuels. They helped make transportation faster and more convenient. Not only the demand for airplanes and
Environmental Impact
Over the decades, fossil fuel emission's effect on the environment has become obvious. Fossil fuel releases
significant amounts of carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. This contributes
to the greenhouse effect, the process through which heat is trapped near the Earth's surface by substances, which
leads to global warming. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), over the past few
decades, fossil fuel combustion has been responsible for approximately 75% of the increase in atmospheric CO2
concentrations.
Global Warming resulted in severe weather, rising sea levels, and disruptions to ecosystems. The rise in
global temperature led to polar ice caps and glaciers melting, which caused sea levels to rise and threatened coastal
areas and ecosystems. Moreover, the alteration of weather patterns has resulted in more intense hurricanes,
droughts, and heat waves, which affect agriculture, water supply, and human health.
Though most people acknowledge the environmental impacts caused by the use of fossil fuels, it still
dominates the global energy source. Fossil fuels still control about 80% of the world's energy consumption due to
their benefits. It is driven by their high energy density, established infrastructure, and economic benefits.
However, indication has been announced that if this situation continues, global temperatures could rise by 1.5°C
by as early as 2030, exacerbating the already severe impacts of climate change.
China
Every year, China is ranked as the world’s largest carbon dioxide producer. According to the Dutch
Environmental Assessment Service, China’s carbon dioxide emissions reached 6.2 billion tons and the U.S. was 5.8
billion tons in the same year, 2006. China reported that its carbon dioxide emissions were 8 percent larger than the
Following China, the United States is the world’s second-largest carbon dioxide producer. The US
continues to reduce its reliance on coal for power generation but is still a major producer. The United States
economy relies heavily on oil-burning transportation, such as trucks, ships, trains, and airplanes, and US
consumers also rely on cars as their main transportation which increases their carbon dioxide emissions through
the use of gasoline and diesel. Energy combustion of fossil fuels is one of the causes of carbon dioxide emissions
in the US. Also, the US uses a variety of chemical reactions required to produce products from raw materials,
which produce enormous amounts of carbon dioxide emissions.
India
Following China and the US, India is the world's third-largest emitter of carbon dioxide. With its growing
population and growing economy, increasing fossil energy consumption has contributed to India's surge in carbon
dioxide emissions over the decades. This has largely affected South Asian countries' CO2 emissions from the
world's top greenhouse gas emitters at over 7 percent. Coal is India's main energy source and accounts for about 45
percent of India's total energy. While India's use of natural gas accounts for only about 6 percent of its energy
consumption, the government of India announced plans to increase its natural gas market share to 15 percent by
2030 to reduce air pollution and use eco-friendly energy sources. Nevertheless, India has the lowest per capita
emission in the G20 at 1.9 tons of CO2, which is one-eighth of the annual CO2 emitted by the average American
per capita. India's contribution to the cumulative amount of CO2 is only 3 percent, which is significantly lower
than that of other major polluters.
Russia
Russia is the World’s fourth largest carbon dioxide producer. In Russia, coal used for industry and power
generation also contributes to Russia’s CO2 emissions. Russia has the world’s largest natural gas reserves, and
natural gas is Russia’s main source of energy and power. In 2021, Russia adopted its law aimed at limiting
greenhouse gas emissions, having gutted it of all measures that would have resulted in substantive emissions
reductions. The Energy Strategy to 2035, adopted in 2021, focuses almost exclusively on promoting fossil fuel
extraction, consumption, and exports to the rest of the world. Such a strong focus on increasing reliance on fossil
fuel revenues poses a considerable economic risk in a future compatible with the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C
temperature limit. Russia used to supply natural gas to other countries, primarily in Europe, but recently, European
Japan
Following Russia, Japan is the fifth largest carbon dioxide producer in the world. In Japan, the use of
fossil fuels is greatly affecting Japan’s economy and society. Due to its lack of energy resources, Japan is heavily
dependent on fossil fuels, using them as primary energy sources, such as oil, coal, and natural gas. After the
Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011, Japan began to significantly reduce its nuclear energy use and increase its
fossil fuel consumption. The increase in fossil fuel consumption has raised concerns about increased greenhouse
gas emissions and climate change. However, Japan is making great efforts to use renewable energy and is
gradually making and implementing various policies to increase energy efficiency and expand the use of new and
renewable energy. These efforts are expected to play an important role in building a sustainable energy future by
reducing Japan’s dependence on fossil fuels.
To regulate and prevent global warming, UNFCC, an international agreement, was formed in 1992. 156
countries participated in the Convention, and its fundamental purpose is to regulate greenhouse gases to prevent
global warming by limiting the emission of greenhouse gases including carbon dioxide. In 1987, at the 10th World
Meteorological Conference in Geneva, the Inter-Government Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was formed. In June
1988, in Toronto, Canada, representatives of major countries gathered and officially proposed the signing of an
international agreement on global warming. It signed a basic agreement at the second World Climate Conference
held in Geneva in 1990 and officially signed the Climate Change Convention in May 1992.
Timeline of Events
1859 Discovery of Oil in Pennsylvania: Sparks global Reliance on fossil fuels for Energy
1997 Kyoto Protocol signed: First global agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
2015 Paris Agreement adopted: Commitment to limit global temperature rise below 2°C
2020 COVID-19 pandemic: Accelerates focus on sustainable recovery and emissions reduction
2030 The target year for many countries to achieve significant emissions reductions under their
national plans
2050 The target year for achieving net-zero emissions in many countries and regions globally
• Kyoto Protocol (1997) - The Kyoto Protocol operationalizes the United Nations Framework Convention
on Climate Change by committing industrialized countries and economies in transition to limit and reduce
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in accordance with agreed individual targets.
• Paris Agreement (2015) - A legally binding international treaty on climate change. It was adopted by
196 Parties at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris, France, on 12 December 2015. Its
overarching goal is to hold “the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above
pre-industrial levels” and pursue efforts “to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial
levels.”
• UN Climate Change Conferences (COPs) - countries who have joined the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) meet to measure progress and negotiate multilateral
responses to climate change.
• UN Climate Action Summit (2019) - The summit aims to give impetus to the commitments made under
the Paris Agreement on climate change, to limit global temperature increases to well below two degrees
Celsius with an endeavor to limit them to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
• Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) - The leading international body for assessment of
climate change. It is a key source of scientific information and technical guidance to the United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement.
Countries that recognized the problem of climate change in the 1970s began scientific verification,
recognized climate change after numerous meetings in the 1980s, and adopted the World Climate Change
Convention (UNFCCC) at the Rio Conference in 1992. A total of 154 governments signed the agreement, and a
After the adoption of the Convention on Climate Change, the Kyoto Protocol was adopted in 1997 to
implement it. Russia ratified the Kyoto Protocol and the Kyoto Protocol officially began to take effect on February
16, 2005, although each country's ratification was delayed and the United States withdrew from it for a while. As a
result, 38 developed countries, are obligated to reduce their total greenhouse gas emissions by an average of 5.2%
from 2008 to 2012, compared to 1990.
The Kyoto Protocol introduced a cap-and-trade system, a joint implementation system, and a clean
development system to efficiently reduce carbon dioxide. Among them, the cap-and-trade system is actively
underway in Europe, with transactions of more than 1 trillion won per year. The Kyoto Protocol is significant in
itself as it is an agreement that the world has decided to work to reduce carbon dioxide, but some were concerned
that the Kyoto Protocol would be effective because of its short implementation period and lack of a full
framework. On the other hand, there is an Asia-Pacific Climate Change Partnership that focuses on technology to
prevent climate change, unlike the Kyoto Protocol, which requires carbon dioxide to be reduced. This is a system
led by the Australian government, which represents the coal industry, and the US government, which represents
the oil industry, and six countries, including the United States, Australia, China, India, Korea, and Japan, which
account for a total of 50% of the world's CO2 emissions, participate. Instead of presupposing voluntary reduction
of co₂, it aims to utilize methane, store CO2, and develop technology to develop fusion energy that can reduce
CO2.
Possible Solutions
Excessive use of fossil fuels increases the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, resulting in
global warming. These are some possible solutions that contribute to reducing fossil fuel emissions. The use of
alternative energy produces little pollutant emissions and generates electricity and heat. In addition, using
alternative energy instead of fossil fuels can reduce pollutants.
First, there is geothermal power. It is a method that is used to generate power using heat from the
ground and to control the water temperature, and it mainly uses the heat that is generated when food waste is
Moreover, Nuclear power generation is currently the most efficient power generation method, but since
radioactive substances are generated, they should be avoided by residents and installed in areas with geological
structures without earthquakes. The explosion of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant in the former Soviet Union
was a shocking accident. It took decades to remove radioactive substances due to numerous casualties and leaks of
radioactive substances, and those who participated in this also became victims. This led to an incident that caused
a backlash against nuclear power generation. Next, there is wind power generation. This is a method of generating
electricity using wind, which has the disadvantage that it cannot be installed in strong or weak places. Bioenergy
exists, but it can cause food shortages and increase grain prices by obtaining oil through crops.
Alternative energy is difficult to distribute and cannot be commercialized when the price-to-cost efficiency
is low (equipment and maintenance costs are high compared to electricity generation). In other words, it is
important to increase efficiency to supply alternative energy, and the state needs to support it.
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